Savannah and Bellamy Arterburn have faced more challenges and heartbreak than any young sisters ever should. Savannah, 17 and Bellamy, 19, both have Friedreich’s ataxia, a neuro muscular disorder with no treatment or cure. The terminal illness has slowly taken away their ability to move, weakened their hearts, and forced each into spinal surgeries over a span of time that included losing their mother to breast cancer. To say the least, it’s been a tragic few years for the resilient teenagers and their father Donovan.
Rather than throwing in the towel on chasing a couple of smiles, the girls set a dream to catch a couple of waves with everybody’s favorite surf therapy dog, Ricochet. But of course, with all the challenges the family had been through, making a trip to the coast from their home in Denver, Colorado wasn’t a realistic family vacation. And that’s where Ricochet and her water handler stepped up their good deed game, deciding to host a fundraiser for the girls so they could spend a day with Ricochet in San Diego. Within a day, the whole thing came together. Two Facebook fans, Scott and Sharon Brandstadt, donated 100,000 airline miles to the Arterburn family, a local hotel donated a room to stay, and a slew of Ricochet’s social media fans donated cash to cover other trip expenses.
It ended up being Savannah and Bellamy’s first surf session, with Ricochet positioned on the back of the board to keep them afloat. Because of their disease, the girls couldn’t control their bodies or the board, making the tandem rides with Ricochet a necessity for catching waves. And when Savannah suffered her first wipeout, she gave the obligatory “that was so cool” proclamation.
“When Savannah fell off the board, I asked her if she needed to sit and rest, or did she want to go again,” Savannah and Bellamy’s dad later said. “She said she was ready to go again.” So, true to form, the girls were well on their way to being hooked after just one session with one heck of a cute surf buddy.
It’s all a happy reminder to be thankful for what we all have – the joy of some daily (if you’re lucky) saltwater therapy. No matter how ruff life may get, you can always find a way to catch a wave and a smile.
